'n Vegetariese Afrikaner

A Vegetarian Afrikaner

Vanaand het ek aandete saam met my vriend Elrich geëet. Nie net is hy 'n Afrikaner en 'n vegetariër nie, hy is ook 'n derde generasie lewenslange vegetariër o.O! Verassend, ne? Natuurlik is hy lief vir Indiese kos, die vegetariër-vriendelikste kookkuns ter wêreld in my opinie :).

Hier is wat ons gehad het:

Palak Paneer (Indiese kaas met romerige spinasiesous)
Jeera Aloo (komyn-aartappels)
Mirch Pulao (rys met soetrissie)
Lahsun Papad (knoffel-lensie skyfies)
Mango Chutney
Lime Chutney
Witwyn - Sommige sommeliers beveel rooiwyn aan vir Indiese kos, maar wit is ons verkies. Die soetheid en delikate smaak van die wyn en die sterk speserye van die kos is 'n lekker kombinasie. Gee dit 'n probeer!

Geen van die speserye in die drie hoofgeregte is herhaal nie :).

Bord 1 - Jeera Aloo (komyn-aartappels): komynsade, knoffelpoeier, swart kardamom, kaneelpoeier, mangapoeier

Bord 2 - Mirch Pulao (rys met soetrissie): vinkelsade, nigella, lourierblare, fenegrieksade, hing, steranys

Bord 3 - Palak Paneer (Indiese kaas met romerige spinasiesous): groen kardamom, swart mostertsade, fenegriekblare (baie verskillende smaak van die sade), koljandersade, gemmerpoeier

Tonight I had dinner with my friend Elrich. Not only is he an Afrikaner and a vegetarian, he's also a third-generation lifelong vegetarian o.O! Surprising, isn't it? Naturally, he loves Indian food, the most vegetarian-friendly cuisine in the world in my opinion.

Here's what we had:

Palak Paneer (Indian cheese with creamy spinach sauce)
Jeera Aloo (cumin potatoes)
Mirch Pulao (rice with sweet peppers)
Lahsun Papad (garlic-lentil crisps)
Mango Chutney
Lime Chutney
White Wine - Some sommeliers recommend red wine for Indian food, but white is our preference. The sweetness and delicate flavor of the wine and the strong spices of the food are a wonderful combination. Give it a try!

None of the spices were repeated in the three main dishes :).

Plate 1 - Jeera Aloo (cumin potatoes): cumin seeds, garlic powder, black cardamom, cinnamon powder, mango powder

Plate 2 - Mirch Pulao (rice with bell peppers): fennel seeds, nigella, bay leaves, fenugreek seeds, hing, star anise

Plate 3 - Palak Paneer (Indian cheese with spinach sauce): green cardamom, black mustard seeds, fenugreek leaves (very different flavor from the seeds), coriander (the seeds of the cilantro plant), ginger powder

Meer Indiese kos

More Indian Food

Ek leer nog steeds my vriend Chris hoe om Indiese kos te kook. Vandag het ons die volgende voorberei:

Achari baingan (eiervrug in piekelspeserye; ek gebruik vinkel en nigella)
Aloo tikki (gekruide aartappel patties)
Dal (lensiebredie)
Jeera chawal (komynrys)

I'm still teaching my friend Chris how to cook Indian food. Today, we prepared the following:

Achari baingan (eggplant in pickling spices - I use fennel and nigella)
Aloo tikki (spiced potato patties)
Dal (lentil stew)
Jeera chawal (cumin rice)

Sterkte-oefening

Strength Training

Ek het onlangs 'n nuwe stertke-oefening roetine begin. Ek het nie geweet die klein maar baie belangrike verskil tussen die frases "om gewig op te tel" en "om gewigte op te tel" nie. Ek het 'n paar vriende vertel dat ek die eerste gedoen het, maar ek het die tweede bedoel. Selfs al is die twee nie wedersyds uitsluitend nie, het die eerste frase dieselfde konnotasie in Engels en beteken gewoonlik om vet te raak. Oops!

I recently started a new strength training regimen. I didn't know the small, but very important distinction between the phrases "gaining weight" and "lifting weights." I told a few friends that I was doing the first, but I meant the second! Even though the two aren't mutually exclusive, the first phrase has the same connotation in English and usually means getting fat. Oops!

Vra nie, vertel nie

Don't Ask, Don't Tell

Vandag is die eerste amptelike dag van die nuwe Amerikaanse militêre beleid sonder "Don't Ask, Don't Tell". My pa was in die weermag en het 'n paar gay soldate geken. Dit was nie 'n groot kwessie nie. Soos hulle sê, "you don't have to be straight to shoot straight." Straf onprofesionele gedrag, nie sexualiteit nie. Vir al die soldate daar buite, straight of gay, dankie vir jou diens aan ons land!

Hier is 'n vid van 'n Amerikaanse soldaat wat aan sy pa uitkom.
Are you surprised?

Today is the first official day of the new US Military policy without "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." My father was in the army and knew a few gay soldiers. It wasn't a big deal. As they say, "you don't have to be straight, to shoot straight." Punish unprofessional conduct, not sexuality. For all the soldiers out there, straight or gay, thank you for your service to our country!

Here is a video from an American soldier coming out to his father.

Baie amandels

Lots of Almonds

Gewoonlik hier in Kalifornië wissel amandels van $7 tot $14 per pond, maar ek het onlangs 'n goeie afslag gevind. Die amandels wat ek gekoop het was net $4 per pond! Ek moes 10 pond koop vir die afslag, maar dis nie 'n probleem nie.

Amandels is baie gesond en het goeie vet, vitamien E, fiber en proteïen. Noudat ek weer gewigte optel, probeer ek om meer dinge soos amandels te eet in plaas van gemorskos soos Doritos. Ek probeer ook om minder soyaprodukte te vebruik. Soya kan gesond wees, maar matigheid is die beste, veral vir manne te wyte aan die plantoestrogenen wat dit bevat. Ek eet nog tofu en is lief vir dinge soos tubu chorim, 'n gekruide Koreaanse tofu dis, maar ek begin om amandelmelk te drink eerder as soya.

Amandelmelk klink soos 'n moderne uitvinding, maar dit was eintlik 'n belangrike bestanddeel in die kombuise van Middeleeuse Europa en die Midde-Ooste. Ek gebruik altyd amandelmelk vir die saffraansous van navrattan korma, een van my gunsteling Indiese geregte, maar ek het dit selde uit die karton gedrink. Egter het ek onlangs "Silk Almond Milk" probeer. Dis baie goed op sigself en het my geïnspireer om dit tuis te maak. Met 10 pond van amandels, sal ek genoeg hê!

Usually here in California, almonds range from $7 to $14 a pound, but I recently found a good discount. The almonds that I bought were only $4 a pound! I had to buy 10 pounds for the discount, but that isn't a problem.

Almonds are very healthy and contain good fats, vitamin E, fiber, and protein. Now that I'm lifting weights again, I'm trying to eat more things like almonds instead of junkfood like Doritos. I'm also trying to consume less soy products. Soy can be healthy, but moderation is best, especially for men due to the phytoestrogens it contains. I still eat tofu and love things like tubu chorim, a spicy Korean tofu dish, but I'm starting to drink almond milk instead of soy.

Almond milk sounds like a modern invention, but it was actually an important ingredient in the kitchens of Medieval Europe and the Mideast. I always use almond milk for the saffron sauce of navrattan korma, one of my favorite Indian dishes, but I rarely drank it out of the carton. However, I recently tried "Silk Almond Milk." It's really good by itself and has inspired me to make it at home. With 10 pounds of almonds, I'll have enough!

Rajma Masala, Veggie Pakoras, & Haldi Chawal

Ek het onlangs verhuis van die Outer Sunset na Ingleside. Die afgelope naweek het ek eindelik my eerste Indiese ete by die nuwe woonstel gekook. Ek raak nog gewoond aan die elektriese stoof, dus was die rys 'n bietjie "al dente" ;). Ek kan nie ook my potjie vir diepbraai gebruik nie, maar dis nie 'n groot probleem nie.

My vriend Justin was my sous chef en ons het saam met my nuwe kamermaats Jessi en Alex geëet. Na aandete het ons na "Nina's Heavenly Delights" gekyk, 'n oulike Skotse Indiese fliek. Ek het ook 'n derde kamermaat, Rick, maar hy het op dié aand vorige planne gehad. Egter het ek seker gemaak dat hy oorskiet kos gekry!

I recently moved from the Outer Sunset to Ingleside. This past weekend, I finally cooked my first Indian meal at the new apartment. I'm still getting accustomed to the electric stove, so the rice was a little "al dente" ;). I also can't use my potjie for deep-frying, but that's not a big problem.

My friend Justin was my sous chef and we ate with my new roommates Jessi and Alex. After dinner, we watched "Nina's Heavenly Delights," a cute Scottish-Indian flick. I also have a third roommate, Rick, but he had previous plans that night. However, I made sure he got leftovers!

Nederlandse en Vlaamse meesterwerke

Dutch and Flemish Masterworks

Verlede naweek het ek die Nederlandse en Vlaamse meesterwerke van die Rose-Marie and Eijk van Otterloo collectie by die SF Legion of Honor Museum gesien. Ek het saam met my Afrikaanssprekende vriend Elrich gegaan.

Die uitstalling was fantasties. Al die kunswerke was pragtig, maar my gunsteling was "Figures in a Snowstorm" deur Aert van der Neer. Dit was nie foto-realisties soos baie van die ander skilderye nie, maar die aandag aan detail was besonders, veral die sneeu en wind. Die hele collectie was baie indrukwekkend en dit was 'n voorreg om dit te sien!

Vir middagete het Elrich en ek Pagan Restaurant toe gegaan. Dit beteken nie die Engelse woord "pagan" nie, maar eerder is vernoem na 'n antieke stad in Birma. Die restaurant het ook Thai kos, maar ons albei het Birmaanse geregte bestel. Birmaanse kos smaak soos 'n kombinasie van Thai en Indiese kos. Dit was lekker!

Last weekend, I saw the Dutch and Flemish Masterworks from the Rose-Marie and Eijk van Otterloo Collection at the SF Legion of Honor Museum. I went with my Afrikaans-speaking friend Elrich.

The exhibit was fantastic. All the works of arts were beautiful, but my favorite was "Figures in a Snowstorm" by Aert van der Neer. It wasn't photo-realistic like many of the other paintings, but the attention to detail was extraordinary, especially the snow and wind. The entire collection was very impressive and it was a privilege to see it!

For lunch, Elrich and I went to Pagan Restaurant. It doesn't mean the English word "pagan", but is named for an ancient city in Burma instead. The restaurant also has Thai food, but we both ordered Burmese dishes. Burmese food tastes like a combination of Thai and Indian food. It was great!